Drosselmeyer wins Belmont Stakes

As someone who enjoys both horseracing and ballet, I am always on the lookout for horses named for anything to do with dance. Over the years, this "system" has led to fairly consistent failure on my part. This year however, a l3 to 1 shot, Drosselmeyer, won a clear-cut victory in the Belmont Stakes, the toughest of the "triple crown" races, and handsomely repaid his backers. Congratulations are in order.

And he beat a horse named First Dude. First Dude always seemed like a bad bet to me. The more famous First Dude, Sarah Palin's husband, did not have a good run, losing first his race (to be, um, Second Dude?) and then his title (when his wife quit her job as governor). Drosselmeyer seems more enduring, not to mention endearing (at least to me).

A happy sequel for Drosselmeyer, who went through some hard times after his Belmont win last season. Today he won the Breeder's Cup Classic, beating another Dude, Game on Dude, who was indeed very game. Drosselmeyer paid $31.60 to win.

Another horse named Baryshnikov ran in another race today but was not in the money....